The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

In Xu Nian's hometown, dumplings are a must-have on the New Year's Eve dinner table.

So, without stopping for a moment, he began kneading the dough and filling.

Xu Xi and Zhao Lin were cooking in the kitchen, and Wen Yao was helping them.

The kitchen, which I thought was quite spacious, now felt rather cramped.

Qi Yu wanted to go into the kitchen to help, but the three girls pushed him out, saying he was in the way.

He smiled awkwardly, wanting to help Xu Nian, but as a southern man who had almost never been in the kitchen, he was completely incapable of making this kind of noodle dish and was simply causing trouble for Xu Nian.

Do you even understand circuits?

Xu Nian asked.

"You understand a little bit, right?"

Qi Yu scratched his head. He was the only one in the room who was not there, and he felt a little embarrassed.

Xu Nian pointed to the television in the living room.

When he moved in, Grandpa Deng told him that the TV was broken and was only hung here to make the living room look less empty.

"Go see if you can fix it."

He noticed Qi Yu's predicament and thought of finding him something to do.

They didn't expect Qi Yu to be able to fix it; they just hoped that it would make him feel less awkward here.

Qi Yu nodded, asked Xu Nian for a set of screwdrivers, and then went to the TV to start tinkering.

"Yaoyao, can you taste this meat and tell me if it's bland?"

"Yes, a little. Add some soy sauce, I'll get it for you."

"Linlin, do you know how to make stir-fried rice cakes? I don't know how."

"I'll do it, I know how to do it."

The kitchen was bustling with activity as the three girls worked tirelessly. Despite it being the winter month, their faces were covered in sweat.

Xu Nian finally finished wrapping the dumplings and put them in the steamer. After glancing at the clock on the wall, she began to mix the soy sauce and vinegar.

"Linlin, how much longer until the fish is ready?"

"Just a minute, in about five minutes, heat up the oil for me. I'm going to pour it over the fish later."

"Okay~"

For the first time, Xu Nian felt that her home was filled with the warmth of everyday life.

No wonder that every year during the Lunar New Year, no matter where they are or how far they are from home, people are willing to go to great lengths to catch the last bus home.

The happiest and most joyful thing is when the whole family is reunited in a lively and cheerful atmosphere.

"The dumplings are ready!"

"The fish is ready and can be served."

"Brother Xu, I've fixed the TV. There was a loose screw inside causing a connection problem, but the screen lights up now!"

Qi Yu wiped the sweat from his forehead and excitedly shouted to Xu Nian.

"real?"

Xu Nian's face lit up with joy. She walked to the television and saw that there was already an image on the screen.

Although the clarity is not high, it sometimes flickers suddenly.

It's an old TV after all, probably almost as old as Xu Nian.

"Everyone, please help me move the dining table into the living room."

"good!"

"They're here!"

A group of people slung the dining table over their shoulder and carefully placed it in front of the television.

The girls arranged the dishes on the table one by one.

The largest scallion oil fish was placed in the very center, surrounded by other meat and vegetable dishes like stars around the moon.

This was the first time in Xu Nian's life that she had seen such a sumptuous dining table.

The main dish was dumplings made by Xu Nian, and Xu Xi and Zhao Lin both brought out their best skills and made all their signature dishes.

The fish was still steaming hot and coated with the aroma of oil, while the braised pork was soaked in a dark brown sauce. Just looking at it made my mouth water.

The rice cakes were fried until crispy, garnished with shredded carrots, eggs, cabbage, and strips of meat, emitting an enticing aroma.

The group sat around the table, tasting each other's cooking and praising each other's skills, creating a harmonious and joyful atmosphere.

As the "Spring Festival Overture" began to play, the television screen switched to the Spring Festival Gala.

"Dear viewers! Happy Chinese New Year!"

The hosts' cheerful voices came from the television.

Cheers! Happy Chinese New Year everyone!

The group raised their glasses and clinked them together at the table; the glasses contained juice that Wen Yao had brought from the shop.

Brilliant fireworks lit up the sky outside the window, illuminating the joyful smiles on the faces of everyone inside.

......

"This year's Spring Festival Gala programs are really bad; why are they all just pop stars?"

"Yes, it's getting worse every year."

After finishing their New Year's Eve dinner, Wen Yao and Zhao Lin sat on the sofa watching the Spring Festival Gala, teasing each other.

Before long, they called Qi Yu over and started playing Dou Dizhu (a popular Chinese card game) in a circle.

Aside from the initial surprise of a massive sing-along, the rest of the program didn't really inspire any desire to continue watching.

Xu Xi had been obediently leaning on Xu Nian's shoulder watching TV, but the more she watched, the more bored she became, so she simply went to the window to watch the fireworks.

Seeing the little guy leave, Xu Nian was too lazy to stay sitting there any longer.

When he was a child, he always heard the adults around him say that you must watch the Spring Festival Gala during the Chinese New Year, and that the Spring Festival Gala is so good.

Having been influenced by what he saw and heard, he also felt that the Spring Festival Gala was a must-watch program for New Year's Eve.

Having lived alone for so many years, Xu Nian has never had the opportunity to watch the Spring Festival Gala on TV on New Year's Eve, which she still feels is a bit of a regret.

But looking at it now, it's just so-so.

The fireworks outside the window are not as beautiful.

"Brother, I want to set off fireworks too..."

Xu Xi looked down at the children laughing and setting off fireworks below and showed a hint of envy.

"Fireworks... I haven't bought those yet. Wait a moment, I'll go out and see if they still have any for sale."

Xu Nian put on her coat, grabbed the keys to her electric scooter, and prepared to leave.

While browsing the market, he saw many stalls selling fireworks, but he didn't buy any.

The reason is simple: Xu Nian felt that this thing was like a fleeting moment, and playing with it was like burning money.

However, since Xiaoxi said she wanted to play, he decided to go out and buy some things, as long as it made her happy.

"Wait, Brother Xu Nian, take me with you. Let's go straight to my shop to get them. We still have some left over."

Wen Yao threw down the cards and quickly stood up, her face covered with small notes.

Every time she plays Dou Dizhu (a card game), she likes to be the first to call "Landlord," but she always gets blown up by Zhao Lin and Qi Yu, leaving her questioning her existence.

The two seemed to have an uncanny chemistry, and Wen Yao was no match for them. So she quickly tried to think of a way to escape the game.

"Huh? No way! Yao Yao, you're trying to run away on purpose, aren't you? You only have one opponent against three?"

Seeing the cards Wen Yao had dropped, Zhao Lin quickly grabbed her to stop her from leaving. Then Qi Yu smiled and stuck a few small notes on her face.

"Wow, you guys are amazing! My head is spinning from all this!"

Wen Yao said tearfully, and quickly followed Xu Nian out the door.

When they returned after retrieving the fireworks, Xu Xi was already waiting for them downstairs.

"You guys can go ahead, I'm going upstairs to fight them another three hundred rounds!"

Wen Yao became increasingly indignant as she walked along the road. Even with a 33.33% win rate, according to probability, she should have won a few rounds by now.

She must have been doing it wrong before. After losing so many times, it's finally her turn to win.

So, she rekindled her fighting spirit and vowed to stick the little notes all over Zhao Lin and Qi Yu's faces.

After Wen Yao left, Xu Xi's small hand took Xu Nian's large hand.

"Brother, let's play together."

"it is good."